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Saturday, January 19, 2008

Meetings, Meetings, Meetings!

As I sit in another meeting that's important to someone....else...., my mind begins to wander and wonder. Wandering is unavoidable when the subject matter does not actually require my physical of mental presence. Wondering follows closely behind the wandering as I begin to cogitate on why I am sitting here and how I can change this situation into useful time. Sooooo.........Blog writing time! (actually using my handy-dandy yellow legal pad for entry later)How many of you have managers (or peers) that do this to you? I calculated how many hours of standing meetings I attend in a regular work week. In my 50+ hour work week, I am in standing meetings no less than 20 of those hours! The really disappointing thing about this is that half of those 20 hours are just like this. These types of meetings are only ever important to a fraction of those "required" to attend. Most people sit in silence, desperately praying for an end to the meeting so that they can return to their work. It's frustrating and unnecessary. Time for some leadership.

When you call a meeting, really think about who must be there. Invite only those who will contribute to the meeting's purpose and copy anyone else you think may benefit from the results of the meeting via the e-mail with the minutes.

Stick to a defined and previously communicated agenda.

Keep it brief and keep it pertinent to all in attendance.

Start and end on time.

Ask for feedback on the meeting and the format. You could learn something!

If you begin to respect your colleague's time, it will not go unnoticed. People will know that when you call a meeting, it's worth attending....(instead of writing your blog during it!)

Sociable

Hail Alma Mater Dear....

Battle Monument on Trophy Point at the United States Military Academy at West Point

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